The 11th-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish are traveling to Durham to face the undefeated 17th-ranked Duke Blue Devils after a heartbreaking last-second loss to Ohio State on September 30th. The last time both of these teams matched up was three years ago, with Notre Dame getting the upper hand, winning 27-13. While Notre Dame is expected to be a 6.5-point favorite according to Fanduel, this is a different Duke team. Their 17th ranking is their highest since 1994. A win over Notre Dame will prove that Duke is not just a basketball school.
It has been a few weeks since Duke shocked the college football world when they beat Clemson on Labor Day 28-7. They have since dominantly won three straight contests, not giving up more than two touchdowns. Despite their victories, this will be their first test since the Clemson win. Duke’s offense starts with quarterback Riley Leonard, who leads the team in passing yards and is second in rushing yards. This could be a problem for a Notre Dame team that has struggled with missing tackles. Before the Ohio State game, Notre Dame was ranked 86th in tackling efficiency out of 133 teams.
While the loss to Ohio State on primetime was tough, Notre Dame is still very much in playoff contention, but they have to win to keep their hopes alive. Notre Dame’s offense starts with quarterback Sam Hartman, who is very familiar with Duke due to his time with Wake Forest in the ACC. The last time he played Duke, Hartman was able to throw for 347 yards and three touchdowns. Hartman lost despite having a strong game. Yards through the air will also be a lot harder to come by with Duke ranking fourth nationally in passing yards allowed. This means Notre Dame will have to take a different approach to get yards on offense.
The key matchup to watch is Duke’s defense vs. Notre Dame’s running game. Notre Dame has always been known for having one of the strongest offensive lines, this year is no different. They are led by Joe Alt, a first-team preseason All-American, and Blake Fisher. Running behind them is a Notre Dame back committee led by Audric Estime. Estime has already rushed for 591 yards and 5 touchdowns. Despite having a breakout season, Ohio State was able to hold Estime to his lowest rushing yardage of the season, 70 yards. On Saturday, Duke hopes to do the same. Duke’s defense has given up 133 yards and two touchdowns per game on the ground. Despite their middle-of-the-pack defense on the ground, they make up for it by creating turnovers. They currently lead the ACC in having the best turnover plus-minus ratio.
The coaching battle is another thing to watch. Both teams are led by second-year head coaches known for their defense and leadership. Despite both coaches finishing with the same amount of wins last season, they are going in opposite directions due to the expectations that come with their programs. Mike Elko is expecting to lead Duke to bowl eligibility. Marcus Freeman is expected to lead Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff.
Despite the lack of growing pains Freeman is afforded, he understands this comes with the territory of getting a high-profile job. When he loses tough games, he must accept full responsibility. After losing on a walk-off touchdown with 10 players on the field Saturday, Freeman acknowledges, “Yeah, it’s on us. We got to be better.” He also does not regret any decisions including going 0-2 on fourth down. That is the type of leadership that is needed as a head coach. We will see which coach and more importantly which team can come out on top. Come join us at University Foot-ball to see how we think this game will play out.
Author: Tarohn Finley
